Joined: March 11th, 2007, 11:19 amPosts: 2452Location: In the Tardis, off to who knows where in who knows when!

Well I just checked out the first episode. I wasn't terribly impressed with a number of aspects and was left rather confused as to what the heck happened at the end. Or more-so where they are going to go from here.

*Post contains spoilers from the first episode below*

Other than what I had heard about it from Storm_Shinobi about Ga-Rei Zero I didn't know much about it. I didn't really mind it thrusting us into the action right off the bat, with them fighting against these apparently very difficult to see monsters. The musical scores they played during the action scenes was really strange to me, maybe it was the singing that threw me off or something but I almost felt like I was watching the finale. The other thing that threw me with the action scenes was the 3D animation for, primarily, the main monsters they were fighting. (The Category B ones.) It just didn't look very good, the stark difference was just too much. The episode turned out to be almost completely about action, without really setting up anything about what was going on. Something one usually expects from the first episode of a series. But to top it all off, at the end of the episode, things go to hell in a hand basket and all of the major characters are killed. Hmm, that was kind of unexpected. I suppose either it's going to now be a flashback (which would be strange since this is a prequel to the manga) or maybe a dream sequence or something. Sort of a strange turn of events though!

I'm sure the next episode will clear that up as soon as I get around to watching it.

After the first episode, GaRei Zero does not look like something I want to spend time on.A special unit fighting some sort of monsters. Yay. I'm sure I've already seen that somewhere. I'll watch three episodes before I decide whether to watch or to dunk it.

(... some time later...)

I can't decide after three episodes. The other way round: I'll watch on.

The first episode was kinda dull, really, and the only interesting thing about it was the introduced characters being killed.So I was, like,

The second episode enters new protagonists, who are much cuter by the way, and I like the kind of fanservice they're offering. The Yuri-thing as well as the necessary flashback starts with episode three.

(... some time later...)

Episode four proceeds smoothly, with the relationship of Kagura and Yomi highlighted of course. The former Yomi is the exact opposite of how she was introduced in episode two. The gap is so large that you want to know how it all came to be despite knowing the outcome (to a certain point).Fanservice remains nice, way better than panty shots and sexy poses. Gojira will like it I suppose.

I would like to add something good:Yomi's voice actress (Yomi being the older girl) is Mizuhara Kaoru, a very skilled Seiyû who in "some other Anime" sounded like this.I find the difference very remarkable.Sakuraba is Shiraishi Minoru by the way.

Joined: April 20th, 2008, 1:05 pmPosts: 1055Location: Tokyo, you're due for another attack from Yours Truly!

42317 wrote:

Episode four proceeds smoothly, with the relationship of Kagura and Yomi highlighted of course. The former Yomi is the exact opposite of how she was introduced in episode two. The gap is so large that you want to know how it all came to be despite knowing the outcome (to a certain point).Fanservice remains nice, way better than panty shots and sexy poses. Gojira will like it I suppose.

After episode six it didn't let me go again... I had to watch the rest of it in one sitting.They're constantly climbing up to the climax... and what a climax! It's exciting, suspenseful, and dramatic! I'm impressed... I wouldn't have expected that after such an "08/15" first episode.

Joined: March 11th, 2007, 11:19 amPosts: 2452Location: In the Tardis, off to who knows where in who knows when!

Well that's certainly good to hear 42317. I just finished the fourth episode, and it's coming together a bit better than before. I'm not sure how long they are going to stay on this flashback, but I suppose it could be a while now since things aren't moving terribly quickly on getting to the events at the end of episode 2.

It's interesting that they decided to go with an entire new cast after wiping out the initial crew. I feel like I have seen that in another title, but I can't remember which one. At any rate, certainly an unusual way to start a series.

That's one of the finest examples of German idiomology anybody could imagine. Like, you say "bucks" and mean money because of early American fur trade, right? I wonder whether bloodfairy knows about it... I would be positively surprised. Anyhow, the term (read: "Null-Acht-Fünfzehn", i.e. "O-Eight-Fifteen") dates back to World War One. The most effective German machine gun at the beginning of the war was a copy of the Maxim, the Spandau MG 08. It was awefully heavy and the troops demanded a portable version, which was issued in 1915, and therefore it was labelled "08/15".At the same time the weapon was the first standardized all-German mass-manufactured weapon. Before the war the single German states had their own production standards. They overlapped in many cases, but in more cases material was incompatible. Due to being a standardized design and being produced in vast numbers the expression "Nulla-Acht-Fünfzehn" came to mean "nothing special", "lackluster", "standard", "average", and "somewhat boring". Something you've already seen often.

The series might use a lot of things that have been done before, but it does it really well. Plus its very character-centric, which is what I really enjoy. The crazy fights are just a plus, motorbike acrobatics to mega wheelchair of DEATH. And Yomi is plain awesome. Awesome swordfighting and choreography is a major plus too. A lot of action series as of late forget that you need very well done choreography. You can forgive the premise not being the most unique just for the characterization and choreography.

At any rate, if you want a sequel, there is the more average manga and its scanslations which are up to the end of Vol 7 currently. It is currently not licensed so that is the only way to get it. Lets just say Vol 7 concludes everything that has been left unresolved from Zero, including queer butterfly boy and the Death Stones. Supposedly there is more and there will be a NEW ARC after Vol 7 but I get the feeling its going to go Rurouni Kenshin style and end up looking like some queer side plot. Unless it goes high school comedy style.

That's one of the finest examples of German idiomology anybody could imagine. Like, you say "bucks" and mean money because of early American fur trade, right? I wonder whether bloodfairy knows about it... I would be positively surprised. Anyhow, the term (read: "Null-Acht-Fünfzehn", i.e. "O-Eight-Fifteen") dates back to World War One. The most effective German machine gun at the beginning of the war was a copy of the Maxim, the Spandau MG 08. It was awefully heavy and the troops demanded a portable version, which was issued in 1915, and therefore it was labelled "08/15".At the same time the weapon was the first standardized all-German mass-manufactured weapon. Before the war the single German states had their own production standards. They overlapped in many cases, but in more cases material was incompatible. Due to being a standardized design and being produced in vast numbers the expression "Nulla-Acht-Fünfzehn" came to mean "nothing special", "lackluster", "standard", "average", and "somewhat boring". Something you've already seen often.

Maybe an appropiate parallel (the idea is the same and the example would be closer to the audience) would be with the old mighty Yankee machinegun: the Gatling gun. Not that I had read the "08/15" expression, but when you explained it the idea was triggered for me.

Joined: March 11th, 2007, 11:19 amPosts: 2452Location: In the Tardis, off to who knows where in who knows when!

42317 wrote:

It was awefully heavy and the troops demanded a portable version, which was issued in 1915, and therefore it was labelled "08/15".

I see I see, one of those country specific idioms.

42317 wrote:

Storm_Shinobi wrote:

At any rate, if you want a sequel, there is the more average manga and its scanslations

I'm not really interested in Manga. There are no Seiyû in them and they don't move much.

Maybe they should start making pop-up manga so you can pull on a tab and it moves the pictures Doesn't do much for sound, but I'm sure they could add that in somehow

*Spoilers for episode 8 to earlier below*Just got done with episode 8, things are getting interesting now with Yomi having just been killed by that butterfly jackal. Kagura was really starting to annoy me with her incessant crying, so I'm glad things finally went and switched gears to Yomi for much of the past two episodes. And that damn Mei and her dirtiness is finally dead, so let's all be thankful for that!

Kagura's father really needs to stop roaming the city and get in on some of this action! Looking forward to the next couple of episodes, don't see how they are going to get around Yomi's already being dead though...

Edit 1: I was bad and stayed up till 6 in the morning to finish this series off. I'll post my thoughts tomorrow, I am too tired now and just want to sleep!

Edit 2: Well, they certainly didn't try to end it on a happy note, with killing off everyone. That wasn't really unexpected, but I would have liked if they could have saved Yomi rather than having to kill her. And Kagura totally screwed over her father lol, he was the man. Anywho, the series was pretty good, I can't really complain. It was really sad to see Yomi in her owned state and then going to the dark side. Never did get to do anything with the crazy butterfly guy, but I suppose he's probably in the Manga. At least it didn't leave it as open ended as I thought they might.

Joined: March 11th, 2007, 11:19 amPosts: 2452Location: In the Tardis, off to who knows where in who knows when!

42317 wrote:

I told you it was mesmerizing!

Well I can't disagree with you there!

While taking screen shots I was trying to find a good picture of one of the women and stumbled upon this little gem. It's while they're doing a very, very quick zoom out, which is why it's sort of blurry, but it really is pretty hilarious looking

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